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Commissioners schedule Sept. 8 public hearing on proposed moratorium for data centers
Summary
Vice Chair Freddie Howard asked the board to seek a temporary moratorium on new data-center, data-processing and cryptocurrency-mining development to allow staff time to draft UDO standards and study impacts on farmland, water and grid capacity; the board approved a resolution to advertise a public hearing for Sept. 8, 2026.
The board voted to publish notice and hold a public hearing on Sept. 8, 2026 to consider a proposed moratorium on new data centers, data-processing facilities and cryptocurrency mining in Nash County. Vice Chair Freddie Howard framed the proposal as a pause to allow the county time to study water use, energy demand, tax structure and siting standards before decisions that could permanently convert agricultural land are made.
Howard emphasized that the moratorium would be temporary and would not stop future projects once the county adopts UDO standards for data centers: "A moratorium gives us the tools to respond to the feedback responsibly... It gives staff and this board the time to study the real impacts, water usage, energy demand, tax structure, infrastructure cost, and to build standards in our UDO that protect both our agricultural base and our long term tax interest," he said. Planning staff and other commissioners debated whether existing planning tools might suffice or whether a moratorium could deter economic development while the Unified Development Ordinance is finalized. The board voted to adopt a resolution to schedule and advertise the public hearing and directed the clerk to publish notice per statute.
